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[FR] Heroes of the Vilhon Reach II (updated 3/6!)
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<blockquote data-quote="Broccli_Head" data-source="post: 11847" data-attributes="member: 105"><p><strong> <span style="color: firebrick">24 Alturiak, Year of Rogue Dragons (1373 DR): <em> The Cradle of Madness </em></span> </strong></p><p></p><p>The party busted through the next door searching for prisoners. Ellysidell was the first through only to be bashed by an obese and disease-ridden jailer. Puss oozed from various open sores on his face and arms and clearly he had used the steel shield that he wielded to scratch at them. He was, to put it mildly, a thoroughly unattractive man. Ellysidell struck back driving him into the room and allowing Benito, Aris and Grim through. Surrounded, the jailer did not stand a chance. He was quickly and severely cut down by heroes. Spying a corridor leading from this man's disease-ladden room, the heroes quickly regrouped and began searching the chambers. They discovered a jail cell and a larger torture chamber. In the torture chamber a half-elf was held in chains over a bed of hot coals. Grim adeptly figured out the mechanism and released the poor, tortured soul. Aris and Ellysidell tended to the former prisoner. The halfling's services were then required at the cell door. He picked the lock easily and allowed Benito to examine the room. </p><p></p><p>Inside was human corpse (a priest of Cyric) and a gnome huddled in the corner. Frustrated that they had not found Lyza Danwick, the heroes made ready to continue exploration of the underground temple. First, they tended to their new found companions--the gnome who had a super-long, gnomish name but told the party to call him Babu, and the half-elf a ranger named Oakenbow--healing them to adequate strength and helping them to recover their equipment. The gnome had several gadgets and 'toys' that Grim tried to use, but was unable to grasp. Relunctantly, the halfling parted with these strange items, giving them back to the gnome. Once fully equipped, the party again entered the main corridor. Benito questioned the cult guard that they had taken prisioner once more asking where Danwick's daughter was being held. He, under the influence of the manacles, and thus unable to lie, pointed to the end of the hall. There lay a set of double doors on the left side of the main hallway. Benito led the prisoner to the prison cell where Babu had been held, released him there and locked the door. </p><p></p><p>Down the main passage, Grim led the way, stealing stealthily through the doors and up a set of wide stairs to a landing. From the landing he crept into an antechamber that contained more black robes, lighter than the ones used at the disentegration gate. A female cultist entered the room to change robes, having apparently spilled wine on the one she was wearing. Grim dispatched her and motioned for the rest of the party to follow. They donned on these new robes and proceeded forward through another set of doors. They could hear chanting in the background as Ellysidell swung the doors open. Two guards were quickly silenced as the chanting began growing to a crescendo. The party turned the corner to see a horrific sight. At the opposite end from where they stood, Lyza Danwick sat up on an altar, new born baby in hand. The crowd of cultists was frenzied. Next to her stood a 'man' in black armor with a horned helmet. He held some sort of statue to the baby's head and was chanting in a voice that could be heard amidst the rabble. Flanking him were two floating, decaying corpses that appeared to be some form of undead. </p><p></p><p>The heroes planned quickly. "Nosr clear me a path. I am going for the priest," declared Benito. "Grim, get the baby." </p><p></p><p>"Ellysidell and I will back you up, priest," assured Aris. </p><p></p><p>"Hehehe...so will I, but from out here," added the gnome.</p><p></p><p>Nosr tossed a <em>fireball</em> into the temple, blasting cultists from the pews. Out of the fireball and unscathed came Benito with a vengeance. </p><p></p><p><em>[DM note: Benito had his <span style="color: red">fire shield </span> on and wanted to come out of the fireball. Cool, huh? However, when we looked up the rule, we discovered that he had to make a Relfex save to avoid damage. He still wanted to do so (even though the DC against Nosr's fireball was 19). He made it and I gave him a hero point!]</em></p><p></p><p>One of the undead had come to meet him and was half-torched by the arcane explosion. Benito finished it off. He forced the other undead to the corner. Grim, true to form, the master of stealth and acrobatics ran in Benito's wake leaping onto the altar and stealing the babe from the arms of its mother. Wrapping the baby in the folds of his cloak, he rolled and ducked the blow of the Danwick's daughter and ignored her screams. The helmeted man saw Aris and Ellysidell bearing down upon him and used his divine magic to stop the barbarian. Babu fired a crossbow bolt from one of his gadgets, but curiously, this bolt had a copper wire attached to it. It struck the evil priest in the shoulder and sparks of electricity flew. </p><p></p><p>Babu shouted with glee. Nosr blasted the turned undead with his own magic and began to close to the altar. As Benito closed upon the priest he sent <em>Order's Wrath</em> streaming from <em>Mano</em>, destroying the last of the undead and clearly hurting the dark priest. Cultists were screaming and rushing past he and Babu looking for an exit out. </p><p></p><p>The priest, seeing his defeat, decided to retreat behind a curtain. Aris and Benito followed and sliced into him with sword and scimitar. Seeing no avenue for escape, the priest of the Dark God cried out "Tharizdun will not be thwarted!" and smashed the statue that he held sending waves of chaos at the heroes. Benito felt the pain but resisted the brunt of the effect. Aris shook most of the wave off and was the first to notice the cracks forming on the walls of the temple as he gutted the evil cleric. </p><p></p><p>Benito tore the curtain free, which had caught on fire after another of Babu's toys had lobbed alchemist's fire at it. Grim nodded that he had the baby secure. Lyza Danwick was screaming hysterically. Bentio clocked her on the head and saw that chunks of rocks were falling from the temple's ceiling. Aris grabbed Ellysidell.</p><p></p><p>"Retreat! This way, that priest was trying to escape." </p><p></p><p>Fortunately, Grim was on top of his game and found a secret door and passage that led to what looked like the dark priest's quarters. They could not stop as they heard the rumblings of the temple complex collapsing around them. The heroes ran into the hallway and it was everyone for himself. Babu and Nosr were the worse for wear as both were caught lagging behind. Babu was struck hard with falling rock but managed to stagger out the gate and up the stairs into the ruined keep. Nosr became pinned with the falling debris but blasted his way out with <em>spellfire</em>. Bloodied and dust-covered he finally joined the heroes as they escaped to the ruined keep seeing it collapse in the darkness to produce a huge billowing cloud of dust. Then all was silent. The baby began to cry. Grim rocked the baby to sleep as the heroes made their way to the rendezvous point where Danwick and Variak waited with the horses. They were met about half-way. </p><p></p><p>"We heard the rumblings and saw the cloud of dust, so we decided to come check it out," explained Variak. </p><p></p><p>"We rescued your daughter and you have a grandson!" proclaimed Benito. "I am sorry sir, but it turns out that she was a cultist of some Dark God and was trying to kill you and extort some money. We will turn her over to the authorities in Alaghon."</p><p></p><p>"Do with her what you will," said Lord Danwick with resignation. </p><p></p><p>"And what about the baby," Grim asked offering Danwick his grandson. </p><p></p><p>Lord Danwick shied away. "I do not want that illgetimate son. As far as I know it does not exist. It is a disgrace."</p><p></p><p>"'It' is a he!" retorted Grim pulling the baby back. </p><p></p><p>"You are a hard man, Danwick," added Benito. </p><p></p><p>No one spoke on the trip back to Alaghon.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Broccli_Head, post: 11847, member: 105"] [b] [COLOR=firebrick]24 Alturiak, Year of Rogue Dragons (1373 DR): [i] The Cradle of Madness [/i][/COLOR][i] [/i][/b][i][/i] The party busted through the next door searching for prisoners. Ellysidell was the first through only to be bashed by an obese and disease-ridden jailer. Puss oozed from various open sores on his face and arms and clearly he had used the steel shield that he wielded to scratch at them. He was, to put it mildly, a thoroughly unattractive man. Ellysidell struck back driving him into the room and allowing Benito, Aris and Grim through. Surrounded, the jailer did not stand a chance. He was quickly and severely cut down by heroes. Spying a corridor leading from this man's disease-ladden room, the heroes quickly regrouped and began searching the chambers. They discovered a jail cell and a larger torture chamber. In the torture chamber a half-elf was held in chains over a bed of hot coals. Grim adeptly figured out the mechanism and released the poor, tortured soul. Aris and Ellysidell tended to the former prisoner. The halfling's services were then required at the cell door. He picked the lock easily and allowed Benito to examine the room. Inside was human corpse (a priest of Cyric) and a gnome huddled in the corner. Frustrated that they had not found Lyza Danwick, the heroes made ready to continue exploration of the underground temple. First, they tended to their new found companions--the gnome who had a super-long, gnomish name but told the party to call him Babu, and the half-elf a ranger named Oakenbow--healing them to adequate strength and helping them to recover their equipment. The gnome had several gadgets and 'toys' that Grim tried to use, but was unable to grasp. Relunctantly, the halfling parted with these strange items, giving them back to the gnome. Once fully equipped, the party again entered the main corridor. Benito questioned the cult guard that they had taken prisioner once more asking where Danwick's daughter was being held. He, under the influence of the manacles, and thus unable to lie, pointed to the end of the hall. There lay a set of double doors on the left side of the main hallway. Benito led the prisoner to the prison cell where Babu had been held, released him there and locked the door. Down the main passage, Grim led the way, stealing stealthily through the doors and up a set of wide stairs to a landing. From the landing he crept into an antechamber that contained more black robes, lighter than the ones used at the disentegration gate. A female cultist entered the room to change robes, having apparently spilled wine on the one she was wearing. Grim dispatched her and motioned for the rest of the party to follow. They donned on these new robes and proceeded forward through another set of doors. They could hear chanting in the background as Ellysidell swung the doors open. Two guards were quickly silenced as the chanting began growing to a crescendo. The party turned the corner to see a horrific sight. At the opposite end from where they stood, Lyza Danwick sat up on an altar, new born baby in hand. The crowd of cultists was frenzied. Next to her stood a 'man' in black armor with a horned helmet. He held some sort of statue to the baby's head and was chanting in a voice that could be heard amidst the rabble. Flanking him were two floating, decaying corpses that appeared to be some form of undead. The heroes planned quickly. "Nosr clear me a path. I am going for the priest," declared Benito. "Grim, get the baby." "Ellysidell and I will back you up, priest," assured Aris. "Hehehe...so will I, but from out here," added the gnome. Nosr tossed a [i]fireball[/i] into the temple, blasting cultists from the pews. Out of the fireball and unscathed came Benito with a vengeance. [i][DM note: Benito had his [COLOR=red]fire shield [/COLOR] on and wanted to come out of the fireball. Cool, huh? However, when we looked up the rule, we discovered that he had to make a Relfex save to avoid damage. He still wanted to do so (even though the DC against Nosr's fireball was 19). He made it and I gave him a hero point!][/i] One of the undead had come to meet him and was half-torched by the arcane explosion. Benito finished it off. He forced the other undead to the corner. Grim, true to form, the master of stealth and acrobatics ran in Benito's wake leaping onto the altar and stealing the babe from the arms of its mother. Wrapping the baby in the folds of his cloak, he rolled and ducked the blow of the Danwick's daughter and ignored her screams. The helmeted man saw Aris and Ellysidell bearing down upon him and used his divine magic to stop the barbarian. Babu fired a crossbow bolt from one of his gadgets, but curiously, this bolt had a copper wire attached to it. It struck the evil priest in the shoulder and sparks of electricity flew. Babu shouted with glee. Nosr blasted the turned undead with his own magic and began to close to the altar. As Benito closed upon the priest he sent [i]Order's Wrath[/i] streaming from [i]Mano[/i], destroying the last of the undead and clearly hurting the dark priest. Cultists were screaming and rushing past he and Babu looking for an exit out. The priest, seeing his defeat, decided to retreat behind a curtain. Aris and Benito followed and sliced into him with sword and scimitar. Seeing no avenue for escape, the priest of the Dark God cried out "Tharizdun will not be thwarted!" and smashed the statue that he held sending waves of chaos at the heroes. Benito felt the pain but resisted the brunt of the effect. Aris shook most of the wave off and was the first to notice the cracks forming on the walls of the temple as he gutted the evil cleric. Benito tore the curtain free, which had caught on fire after another of Babu's toys had lobbed alchemist's fire at it. Grim nodded that he had the baby secure. Lyza Danwick was screaming hysterically. Bentio clocked her on the head and saw that chunks of rocks were falling from the temple's ceiling. Aris grabbed Ellysidell. "Retreat! This way, that priest was trying to escape." Fortunately, Grim was on top of his game and found a secret door and passage that led to what looked like the dark priest's quarters. They could not stop as they heard the rumblings of the temple complex collapsing around them. The heroes ran into the hallway and it was everyone for himself. Babu and Nosr were the worse for wear as both were caught lagging behind. Babu was struck hard with falling rock but managed to stagger out the gate and up the stairs into the ruined keep. Nosr became pinned with the falling debris but blasted his way out with [i]spellfire[/i]. Bloodied and dust-covered he finally joined the heroes as they escaped to the ruined keep seeing it collapse in the darkness to produce a huge billowing cloud of dust. Then all was silent. The baby began to cry. Grim rocked the baby to sleep as the heroes made their way to the rendezvous point where Danwick and Variak waited with the horses. They were met about half-way. "We heard the rumblings and saw the cloud of dust, so we decided to come check it out," explained Variak. "We rescued your daughter and you have a grandson!" proclaimed Benito. "I am sorry sir, but it turns out that she was a cultist of some Dark God and was trying to kill you and extort some money. We will turn her over to the authorities in Alaghon." "Do with her what you will," said Lord Danwick with resignation. "And what about the baby," Grim asked offering Danwick his grandson. Lord Danwick shied away. "I do not want that illgetimate son. As far as I know it does not exist. It is a disgrace." "'It' is a he!" retorted Grim pulling the baby back. "You are a hard man, Danwick," added Benito. No one spoke on the trip back to Alaghon. [/QUOTE]
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